3 encounters were fake when Narendra Modi was Gujarat CM; 9 police officers indicted says, ex-Supreme Court judge
In a report submitted by Justice HS Bedi committee, which has investigated the alleged fake encounters happened during the Narendra Modi regime, the probe report says 3 encounters out of 17 were fake.
Since 2002 to 2006, 17 encounters took place in the state where in the probe report has suggested that 3 were fake carried out by the Gujarat police and the committee has also recommended to take action against 9 police officials.
The committee has said that “It is, therefore, obvious that the police officers were close and towering over the deceased and he was probably sitting on the ground and perhaps cringing for his life.”
Justice Bedi has further said in the report that “I am, therefore, of the opinion that inspector K M Vaghela and inspector T A Barot at the first instance be prosecuted for murder and other relevant offences and if it is found during the trial that there is evidence against others as well, they too should be brought in as per law.”
The panel has recommended Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of deceased and a stringent action against the police officers who were involved in the fake encounters.
The panel led by retired Supreme Court judge also submitted before the apex court that “The effort of the police officers to dub the deceased and his companions as criminals has also not been successful as no evidence whatsover has been produced to show that they had been involved in any crime. The very detention on the April 13, 2006, from Royal Hotel was thus not justified.”
First published: 12 January 2019, 16:12 IST